


I Sea You

by chronosaurus (kimnamjin)



Category: Stray Kids (Band)
Genre: Alternate Universe - Beach, Alternate Universe - Merpeople, Alternate Universe - Urban Fantasy, Beach House, Boys Kissing, But also, Displays of affection, Falling In Love, Feelings Realization, First Meetings, Fisherman!Felix, Friends to Lovers, Interspecies Relationship(s), Lee Felix (Stray Kids) is Whipped, M/M, Shark Merman!Changbin, Soft Seo Changbin, Strangers to Lovers, Supernatural Elements, changbin is the cutest shark merman, grumpy merman seo changbin, human/merperson relationships, i miss posting changlix i need to write more changlix, i tried to give this a fairy tale kinda vibe? idk, i'm actually happy w how this came out oop, this was a wip for Months but i just finished it in time for bin week!
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2020-08-08
Updated: 2020-08-08
Packaged: 2021-03-06 07:54:57
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 6,995
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/25789948
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/kimnamjin/pseuds/chronosaurus
Summary: Felix is a fisherman in a quaint seaside town. Day in and day out, he travels to the docks to cast his lines and reap the bounty of the sea. It's nigh in his blood to sit upon the planks and wait for a bite, but such regiment often leads to monotony.Until one day, that humdrum is flipped right on its noggin, when Felix gets a mighty big tug on the end of his rod. And then, he reels in a (cute, and grumpy) tiger sharkmerman.Felix might have to rethink hanging up his hooks and bait boxes; maybe being a fisherman isn't so boring, after all.Or: Felix and Changbin fall in love on the docks, over pearlescent conch shells and freshly baited hooks.
Relationships: Lee Felix/Seo Changbin
Comments: 34
Kudos: 206





	I Sea You

_Surf: 3ft._

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_Water Temp: 67°_

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_High Tide: 2:47 p.m._

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_Low Tide: 9:42 p.m._

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A lazy grin pulled onto Felix’s lips, as he jotted today’s stats onto the chalkboard in his kitchen. The surf is conveniently low and he has hours until the tug of low tide sucks back the sea, so he decided he might as well head out to the docks. He has nothing better to do; might as well set some lines and see what he can pluck from the ocean’s depths today. Fishing _is_ his job, after all. And the more fish he reels in, the more money he can get from the seafood market owners in town. 

__

Felix shrugged on his puffer vest, shoved a ball cap onto his head of sun-bleached blonde hair, and slung his trusty fishing rod over his shoulder. After snatching the worn handle of his bait box in his hand, Felix headed out the door. 

The old, algae-caked docks at the seashore have become a second home to Felix. The splintered wood is dyed black from the constant lap of the salt water at the grain, the planks of the boardwalk are eaten through from wood mites and years of rubber-soled fishing boots trampling the surface. It smells like dead fish and rotten seaweed, but there’s nowhere else Felix would rather be. 

__

The docks, the roar of the sea, the fizzing of the waves as they send up droplets of white foam to kiss his cheeks; it’s home, more than his quaint seaside bungalow ever could be. 

__

Felix has been fishing for as long as he can remember. He was taught by his father, who was taught by his father—and so goes the Lee family ancestry. His mother always jokes that Felix learned to cast a rod before he fully overcame his first steps. And now, in the dawn of Felix’s 19th year of life, he still can’t ignore the call of the sea. As far as Felix is concerned, salt water flows through his veins. The sea is his friend, his mentor, his passion. The sea is his other half, after so many years of mutual companionship.

__

While his _job_ is a fisherman, Felix mostly practices catch and release fishing in between selling his bounty to the market stalls. The idea of taking _that_ _much_ from the sea without giving anything back makes his skin crawl, and his hair stand on end. Some humans can be so _greedy_ with mother nature’s treasures, and Felix has made it his mission to stay _out_ of their ranks.

__

Not a day goes by that Felix doesn’t head out to the sea, unless a particularly violent thunderstorm forces him to stay within the confines of his quirky beachside cottage. But he’s restless and fidgety, if more than a day passes without a trip to the docks. 

__

And thankfully, the sunshine is bright and the sky is cloudless as the familiar wooden smudge that is the boardwalk came into view. Felix adjusted his rod across his shoulder, and picked up the pace. 

__

The docks are completely empty at a time like this; not exactly early in the morning, yet late enough to keep the grouchy, ancient fishermen and their equally archaic wooden rods off the planks. 

__

Felix sucked in a large, grateful breath, and felt the salty air energize him from the inside out. The sea is calm and the waves are just as subdued, as small crests roll languidly over the ultramarine surface. The dock juts right into the shallowest zone of the ocean, so the waves are never truly that vicious to begin with. But today the oceanic churning seems even _more_ lazy than usual. Like the sea is sleepy, and in desperate need of a nap. As if the stretch of sand is a blanket, thrown off in fitful sleep, with each sluggish whitecap serving as roving hands trying to retrieve its granular quilt. 

__

There’s piping plovers scurrying about on shore and arctic terns dancing in the air, clearly enjoying the balmy temperatures of their summer getaway. And with that quick once over completed, Felix sat down on the very edge of the boardwalk, and began to set up his rod. His legs are dangling off the lip of the dock, the toes of his sneakers barely ghosting above the tranquil ocean surface. 

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Felix snapped open his bait box, and slipped some dried amberjack meat onto the polished tooth of his hook. After toying with the filament and doing some last minute calibrations, Felix reared back and let his line loose into the sea. The hook flew across the waves, until it plopped below the surface with a few bobs and ripples, then sinking fully from view. 

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So now all Felix has to do is wait. 

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He’s not expecting much today in the way of a catch. Maybe a grouper, if he’s lucky, but fish like that rarely venture so close to shore, even during high tide. It’s bound to be a boring day at the docks, Felix is beginning to suspect, after ten minutes without any bites to speak of. 

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But that’s ok. Even though his livelihood depends on his catches, Felix can’t find it in his heart to be bitter towards the sea. Sitting motionlessly with your pole and waiting for a tug on his line may be monotonous, but Felix would much rather be out in the ocean air than cooped up at home. 

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Felix doesn’t control the fish, and whether or not they decide to chomp down on his hook. 

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But then, as if sensing Felix’s gradually peaking weariness, the neck of his rod flexed down with a _huge_ tug on the line. Like, _huge_ huge—not from an oversized sea bass or grouper, but from something _really_ big. Something so big, just one mighty pull on the line almost sent Felix tumbling head over heels into the sea. 

__

“W-woah,” Felix sputtered, instantly perking up to attention and tightening his grip on the handle of his pole. That _thing_ on the other side of his line kept pulling and pulling, and Felix had to strain with all his power to keep the rod in his hands. It’s _strong,_ whatever it is. Stronger than any fish Felix has ever had to battle for dominance with. 

__

Intertidal fish don’t have this much strength, that’s for sure. This mysterious creature has the brute force of something _pelagic;_ from the open ocean. Like a marlin or a sailfish, or a _shark._

__

But that _can’t_ be. Sharks don’t swim up this close to shore, let _alone_ during high tide. Neither do sailfish, or marlin, or grouper. _Nothing_ with the size and weight and _power_ of whatever has snatched up the bait on his hook should be this far into the inlet. 

__

Felix grunted, his brows pinching from exertion, as the monster fish gave a particularly violent pull on the line. He gritted his teeth and hunkered down on the dock, concentrating all his energy to try and win over the faceless undersea beast. _And_ to keep himself effectively dry, and not take a tumble off the planks and into the water with _whatever_ this is. 

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_What on earth could this thing be?!_ Felix screamed internally, his muscles flexing with visible effort to keep whatever could be below the surface relatively tamed. 

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But then, Felix screamed _externally._

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A horrified shriek tore from his lips, because right before his eyes a _human head_ popped out from beneath the churn of the waves. 

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“Holy heck-” Felix choked past the tightness in his throat, breathlessly. 

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That’s _definitely_ the crown of a person’s head poking out of the water, hair rich caramel brown to the point of teetering on blonde, and not appearing damp in the slightest. Which _should_ have been an oddity unto itself, but Felix is _much_ too mentally vexed to take that tidbit into account. 

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Poor Felix is a bit too stupefied by the fact that he might have just _reeled in a goddamn dead body_ to fully take notice of the silkiness of their hair and its unnaturally dry properties.

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“Hey! Do you mind?” 

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_Oh my god,_ Felix’s eyes bugged out of his head, and his lips fell wide open. Because now before him, a _boy_ has sprung up from the depths. Young and masculine and probably a year or two older than Felix himself. His body is still fully submerged below the sea, with only his neck and head peeking out from the rolling crests. _That_ head—the one he just _reeled in._

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It’s not a dead body. 

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Dead bodies don’t _talk._

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The stranger’s voice is gruff and gravely, yet not overtly threatening. Just palpably _annoyed,_ if anything. That telltale mop of butterscotch locks is falling nice and neat over his face, and is completely bone dry despite the man rising from the waves mere seconds prior. And his face...his _face._ What a face that is; his eyes are hooded and pretty, despite being pulled hard and alight with fiery exasperation. His chin is prominent and sharp, exacerbated by the clench of his jaw. His lips are small and pink and lovely, and if Felix weren’t so taken aback at this entire turn of events, he very well might have fallen for the boy at first sight. But alas—

__

It was a _guy_ on his line this whole time?! What is this, some kind of sick prank pulled on him by a rogue scuba diver? The dude is very clearly free of the bulky air canister and clunky mask that is synonymous with underwater diving, but it’s _gotta_ be somewhere he can’t see, right? There was _no one_ taking a dip when he arrived, and there’s no _way_ someone could have naturally held their breath for this long—it’s not _possible._

__

“Dude!” Felix howled, half in shock and half in severe irritation. Here he was, truly thinking he managed to catch a monster fish of mythic proportions, when in fact he was merely the victim of a very cruel and technologically advanced jest. The boy neck deep in the ocean is still glaring daggers at him—for _some_ reason—and now Felix wants to go home, and sleep. He’s had enough of the sea, for today. 

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“ _Dude_ ,” the boy mocked, rolling his eyes at Felix as he parroted his incredulity. “Look, can you just stop with...whatever _this_ is? You’re scaring away all the fish!” The boy snapped, reaching an arm out of the murky deep and into the salty air. 

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And Felix almost fainted at the sight; his _hook_ is delicately pinched between the mysterious boy’s fingers, the slip of untouched amberjack meat still punctured by the curved point. How deep could he have been, how far _out_ to sea could he have been to have snatched up his _hook?_

__

Oh, what else? His _hands_ are _webbed!_ Translucent webbing between his fingers, thin enough so sunlight can still sleep through the membrane of flesh. This boy has hands like a duck’s foot, and it begs the question: has all that salty air finally gotten to Felix’s head?!

__

“Oh my go—what the hell, man! Wha-are you a spear fisherman, or something?” Felix just _has_ to know. Maybe those... _webbed hands_ are merely a pair of newfangled diving gloves Felix isn't aware of? The ocean is cloudy with seaweed and algae at this time of year, so spearfisherman are few and far between, and this boy doesn’t seem to have _any_ of the appropriate gear on him, but Felix’s mind can’t concoct any other plausible explanation. Nothing else would make _sense._

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Felix _probably_ should have first asked _why he has webbed fucking hands,_ more than anything. But hindsight is 20/20, as they say. 

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The undersea boy rolled his eyes again, with such force Felix only saw the whites of his sclera. “I’m not a damn spearfisherman, kid. I’m a _merman,_ and a tiger shark one at that. We need to eat too, buster.” 

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“M-merman?!” Felix shrieked, blinking so fast all he saw were frantic blips of webbed hands and feathery caramel hair. 

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The boy nodded, but his lips are still pulled into a scowl of annoyance. Felix doesn't want to admit to himself that he _swears_ he just saw sharpened incisors glinting in the sunlight.

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“That's right,” the boy drawled, as he leaned back deeper into the water. Suddenly, the rolling surface of the sea is broken by a long, gunmetal grey _tail_ being thrust out from under.

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A _shark_ tail. It's sleek and aerodynamic, and fades from grey to white to the boy's human skin in a lovely, perfect gradient. At the dip of his hips, the grey scales of his tail gradually peter out, until completely shifting to smooth, peachy human flesh. Felix even got a quick glimpse of that infamous dorsal fin sprouting from his back, that has become the bane of beach goers and horror movie fans alike. 

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It's a shark tail, through and through. A shark tail that is _very much_ connected to the torso of the boy mingling with the waves. The boy with Felix’s hook grasped in his hand. The boy who maybe isn't a boy at all.

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And then Felix choked on another pad of saliva, because _woah—_ merboy has gills! Five long slits on both of his sides, right over his obliques. Somewhat frilled on the insides, from the rapid glance Felix was spared of them. Gills like a _fish._ Like a _shark_.

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“I’m _really_ a merman. So can you wipe that stupid look off your face already, and get _this thing_ out of my territory? _”_ The marine man barked, and each word knocked Felix upside the head with enough force to finally wake him up—proverbially. He's aware that this is very real. Somehow. 

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Feli nodded, wordlessly, and clambered even closer to the lip of the dock. He peered down at the sea boy, and his heart is pounding away in his chest; from _excitement_ , not terror. He knows he _should_ be afraid, he knows he should question his _sanity,_ but he can’t scrounge up the mental energy to be disturbed. He’s too excited. 

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He’s too _happy._ For reasons unbeknownst, for now. 

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“Your territory?” Felix asked, unconsciously, as he reached a tentative arm over the edge of the dock. His hand is reaching for the merman; in what capacity, Felix is not yet sure of himself. 

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The boy huffed, and swam a bit closer. He slapped Felix’s hook back into his open palm, but carefully enough so the sharpened prongs won’t puncture his skin. “Uh _yeah._ This is where I hunt fish myself, kid. Humans aren’t the _only_ creatures who eat seafood, ya know.” He grumbled, petulantly.

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With the way his lips pout as he speaks, the merman almost appears as an overgrown child throwing a tantrum. _Cute,_ Felix mused. This merman isn’t just _real,_ he’s _adorable._ Adorably grumpy, perhaps, but adorable all the same. 

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But then what he _actually_ said made itself known in Felix’s brain. He was...stealing the merman’s fish? _Inadvertently,_ granted, but _still._ Felix suddenly feels horribly guilty, at the thought of the cute tiger shark merman finding empty waters, simply because Felix casted out his line. Had Felix had known what _else_ is hunting in the waters outside his beach house, he would have changed his usual fishing spot _years_ ago. 

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“I’m sorry,” Felix said, softly. Barely audible, over the perpetual hiss of the waves. “I didn’t know...about _you.”_

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The merboy’s sour expression mellowed, as he gazed up at Felix from below. The hardness in his eyes eased, along with the clench of his jaw. “It’s fine, really,” he placated, and Felix didn’t need to look up from where he’s focused on the chewed-up dock planks to see the smile on his lips. 

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“I...I’m sorry I snapped at ya, kid.” And now, rather than intimidating and _scary,_ the merman sounds bashful. Maybe even shy. He then added, “Just....find somewhere else to fish, alright?” 

__

Felix looked up, for the first time in minutes. Many minutes. _Too many_ minutes. Because he realized, as his vision figuratively swam with the literally swimming boy, that he missed him. Missed looking at him. At his pronounced chin and angled jaw and wide, rounded nose. Missed the darkness in his eyes and the obviously inhuman point to his canines and incisors, fully visible with the inaugural, genuine stretch of his lips into a grin.

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He’s beautiful, and magical and he _shouldn’t_ exist, yet here he is: bobbing in the tide before the dock outside Felix’s beachside cottage. Felix is suddenly reminded of how huge the sea is. How _unknown_ it is. This boy, this beautiful merman with gills and a dorsal fin sprouting from his back, is the unknown personified. 

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Felix is suddenly reminded of why he loves the ocean. Why it was his _first_ love.

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Felix suddenly realizes that he might be in love again.

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“Ok,” Felix spoke mindlessly, breathlessly. “I won’t fish here anymore.” 

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He knew it was a lie as soon as he said it. 

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But the tiger shark merman seemed satisfied with his answer, thankfully. He sent Felix a grateful little smile, waved a webbed hand in farewell, and sank beneath the surface with a final grey zip of his tail. As he dove under the surface, Felix can’t regret his little fib. 

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Felix felt his heart shiver, at the sight of the merman leaving the dock behind, an undulating trail of seafoam left in his wake.

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He lied.

_**  
  
  
  
** _

(･ิ0･ิ) 🎣 🐟

_**  
  
  
  
** _

Felix came to the docks the very next morning not out of habit, not out of ritual, not out of routine. Not out of compulsion to reel in a catch to sell at the market. 

__

He planted himself on the worn planks out of _want._ Out of desire. Out of longing; to talk to the merboy again. 

He knew it in his bones yesterday, after their first meeting, that he _needs_ to see him again. As if sewn into the quilting of his puffer vest, as if tattooed on his very _skin,_ Felix knew he needed to see the merman again. To _talk_ to him again.

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To make things right. 

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Felix sank down on the edge of the dock, like always. Except, something about the young fisherman is decidedly different, when compared with his other trips to the sea. 

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For the first time in _years,_ Felix ventured to the algae-ridden dockside without his rod. Without his bait box. Without _any_ fishing equipment to speak of. 

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All he has on his person is a large package, cradled in his arms as if an infant. It’s long, and swaddled tight in parchment, and tied tight with twine.

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It’s a fresh, meaty red snapper that Felix purchased from the market this morning. 

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Yes, Felix is a fisherman by trade, but he _bought_ a fish.

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As a peace offering. 

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As a gift. 

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There’s a first time for everything, as the age old saying goes. 

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Felix placed the parcel on the planks, and deftly untied the securing string from the paper. Soon, the plump, bright crimson snapper is plucked from the parchment, and instead clasped in Felix’s tiny hands. Its weighty body is slimy and sticky on his palms. The scarlet scales shimmer in the diffused sunlight, as if a ruby were given animal form and plucked from the sea, rather than a mine. 

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Felix crept closer, kneeing his way to the very lip of the dock, and reached down his available hand. He plunged his fingers below the swell, his skin prickling from the jarring chill of the sea. He wiggled his digits, vigorously splashing and gyrating and creating a violent disturbance at the ocean’s surface. 

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“Shark boy!” Felix called, angling his head down, so his words permeated through the slow roll of the waves. He absentmindedly re-laid the snapper back onto the planks of the dock, so he can grasp for better purchase on the wood. 

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_I never got his name,_ Felix thought with steadfast determination, fluffing up the sea surface even more. _I need his name._

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“Shark boy!” Felix yelled again. “Please come out!” 

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Sure, his attempts at grabbing the merman’s attention may be a _tad_ embarrassing. Felix will be the first to admit that he _never_ imagined his love affair with the sea would lead him _here._

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But embarrassing or misguided or _whatever_ you want to call Felix’s actions, there’s one _more_ adjective you can add to that list:

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_Successful._

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Because _right_ as Felix was beginning to give up hope, a flash of silvan scales under the waves caught his eye. 

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Sleek, aerodynamic sterling, zooming under the crests. Soaring through the kelp fields, _towards him._ Towards the edge of the dock.

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Before Felix could react, he felt something tacky and slick grab his hand; still dipped under the water. It’s slimy like the dead snapper, but moreso velveteen rather than offputting. It’s warm, whatever it is.

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It’s soft. 

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It feels like fingers. Like a hand. Webbed, like a duck’s foot.

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Felix yelped at the sudden undersea contact, but did not make move to pull his hand out from the water. Out from _its_ tender grasp.

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A head of fluffy, mysteriously dry butterscotch hair peeked out from under the waves. Felix’s vision, once again, is filled with droopy eyes and rounded cheeks and tiny lips. They’re still pink, and small, and perfect. But now, they’re smiling. 

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The merman smiled up at Felix, as he rose from the tide. Droplets of saltwater drip down his clavicles and pecs, the soft musculature of his tummy visible just below the surface. He popped up a little higher, and some drops slipped down the ridges of his gills, before sliding back onto his undisturbed human skin. The sunlight through the fat beads make his milky flesh shimmer as if bejeweled. Felix is completely, utterly entranced. 

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The merman raised his hand out of the sea, taking Felix’s up and out with it.

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The merboy was holding his hand, under the water. He snatched up Felix’s hand as if it were a fresh fish in its own right. Even though his stubby fingers end in sharpened nails, he’s clasping Felix’s hand with such care, such tenderness, to ensure no claws scratch his skin and no delicate bones are bruised. 

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He’s still gently keeping Felix’s hand in his, as he begins to speak. 

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“Hey,” said the merboy, and Felix caught a quick glance of the sharpened points of his teeth. Somewhat serrated, visible even through the sparseness of his view. “What are you doing back here so soon?” 

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_I couldn't stay away,_ Felix wanted to say. _I can't choose another fishing spot, now that I've met you._ But he swallowed his honesty with a gulp of sea air, and instead chose to _look._ At the merboy, and his imperfect perfection. At the otherworldly worldliness that _is_ his very existence. He's a shark, and he's a human. Ancient and modern, beastly and mild, living in cohesion in one being. 

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He seems vastly more chipper than when they first met yesterday, and that fact only ratcheted Felix’s confidence up, up, up. He almost appears... _happy_ to see Felix? Whatever the case, the fisherman took the merman’s 180 degree shift in attitude as a good sign, and _ran_ with it.

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“And what’s up with,” the merman shook Felix’s hand, from where it's still held under his webbed fingers. “This?” 

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Felix hummed, as he slid himself even closer to the lip of the dock. Even closer to _him._ “I was trying to get your attention,” Felix mused through a giggle. _I guess it worked._ “Thanks for coming. I want to give you something.” 

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The merman cocked his head to the side, sending silky blonde hair askew. “Really? _Why?”_

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He released Felix’s hand, leaving the skin of his wrist and fingers slicked with seawater and something implacable. Felix immediately missed the supple skin holding his own, but he made sure his disappointment is short-lived. 

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Felix found himself smiling, wide and dopey, as he snatched up the red snapper from his side. “Because,” he said, and offered the fish down to the merman. “I wanted to make up for scaring away all your food yesterday.”

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The merboy’s dark, dazzling eyes widened, as he took in the sight of the snapper. He pursed his lips, as if unsure if Felix is joking or not. He reached out a webbed hand, slowly and tentatively, but didn’t allow himself to wrap his fingers around the fish.

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“Are you serious, kid?” 

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He looks so cute, when he pinches his brows like that. When he purses his full lips like that. 

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Felix isn’t just in love with the sea anymore.

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He’s fallen for one of her innumerable treasures. 

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The fisherman nodded, and extended his hand even closer to the merman. “Of course. Go on, take it. My treat.” 

__

Felix didn’t know a lot about the ocean, about what’s hidden, about what’s _lurking_ below the waves. He didn’t know merpeople are real. He didn’t know one swam around _his_ local dock, outside _his_ house. He didn’t know the one in his personal pocket of sea would be so lovely and sublime and beautiful. He didn’t know he’d fall in love with a creature he found out existed only a measly 24 hours prior.

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And Felix didn’t know mermen could blush. Until now.

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The merboy’s angular cheeks flushed bright, glowing pink. Almost a similar shade of ruby of the red snapper in question, what with how the sunlight bounces ambient brilliance off the scarlet scales. 

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The merman cautiously took the fish from Felix’s hand, and held it in the crook of his arm. Cradling it to his chest, as if it’s something inherently precious. His eyes are glittering and downcast towards the churn of the waves swallowing his torso. 

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“Thank you,” he murmured, quietly. Almost drowned out by the constant roar of the incoming tide. But then he paused, cueing Felix to chime in.

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“ _Felix,”_ he supplied, happily. 

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“Thank you, Felix.” Mused the merman. His lips quirked up at the corners, revealing serrated incisors and canines that _should_ be nothing short of terrifying, but what Felix considers absolutely charming. “I’m Changbin. You aren’t too bad, for a human.” 

__

Felix is so grinning so widely, his cheeks are aching under the strain on his flesh. He has a name. He’s not _just_ the merboy, anymore. He’s _Changbin._

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“You aren’t so bad yourself, Changbin. For a tiger shark merman.” 

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Not like that was ever in _question,_ to Felix. 

__

They’re smiling at each other, Changbin up at Felix and Felix down at Changbin. The sun is nestling fuzzy warmth on Felix’s body, but he feels heated from the inside out. 

__

He’s never surprised by Mother Nature, and the beauty of her creatures. 

_**  
  
  
  
** _

(･ิ0･ิ) 🎣 🐟

_**  
  
  
  
** _

Felix and Changbin created a routine, that day forth. 

__

Felix brings the merman a full, fresh fish from the market each day, and Changbin allows Felix to freely fish in his section of the sea. Just like that, they have formed a nice, simple agreement. Symbiosis at its finest. 

__

The merman has since learned Felix’s fishing schedule by heart, and faithfully waits for the fisherman at the docks. As soon as Felix makes his way to the mite-bitten planks, a familiar mop of dirty blonde hair peeks out from beneath the surface. Without fail, a streamline shark tail dances under the waves each day, eagerly awaiting Felix’s imminent arrival.

__

Most people would flee from the shore at the first glimpse of a gunmetal grey dorsal fin cutting through the tide, _right_ towards you. But for Felix, the sight only makes him pick up his pace down the dock. It only makes his heart beat a little warmer, a little faster. A little more endeared. 

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And of course, they have since learned about _each other._ Over the course of their daily meetings at the dockside, Felix and Changbin used those opportunities to _truly_ get to know one another. To become friends. To become _bonded._

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Felix now knows that Changbin is a relatively recent arrival to their stretch of sea; how he swam to their sleepy little beach town from the up the coast, in order to hunt the bountiful waters. 

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Changbin now knows that the sea is just as integral to Felix’s being as it is to his own; how the human has been fishing since his earliest childhood memories recall. How he _cares_ for the ocean, and its inhabitants, as Changbin does. While he never described his method explicitly, Felix never takes too much from the tide. Just enough to make his job’s quota. _That_ certainly wasn't lost on Changbin.

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Sometimes, when it’s a particularly slow day and no fish are biting, Changbin ventures out into the open ocean past the mouth of the inlet, and snags a large catch for Felix. He swims back to the dock after a few minutes of hunting, with a tuna or sea bass or mahi mahi limp in his clawed hands. _As a thank you for all the presents,_ he says to Felix, in the face of the human refusing to accept such grand offerings. 

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Suffice it to say, business has _definitely_ become more lucrative, since Changbin began helping Felix make his weekly catch requirements. 

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And in the same breath of certainty, Felix can fully admit he’s fallen for Changbin. Without a shadow of a doubt, he’s in love with the merman. And such a revelation doesn’t scare him, even though Felix is _sure_ it should make his heart still with fear.

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No, it simply makes his heart pump faster. Hotter. _Happier._

__

Perhaps it was a coincidence, that the same day he mentally comes to such a profound conclusion, his meeting with the merboy goes a bit...differently. 

__

Or perhaps it isn’t a coincidence at all.

__

Felix plopped down on the edge of the docks, folding his legs cross legged on the splintered wood. His trusty rod is balanced across his shoulders, already baited and ready for the day’s hunt. As always.

__

And like clockwork, a figure rises from the depths, at the signal of Felix making his presence known on the dockside. Peachy skin and a streamline sterling tail. 

__

“‘Morning, Felix.” Greeted Changbin, as he popped his torso out from the tide. He’s smiling at Felix again, and the human acutely felt his heart tremble against his ribs. As always, when Changbin is involved.

__

“Morning, Bin.” Felix responded in turn, ignoring the clip of his heart.

__

And that’s where the similarities of their daily pleasantries came to a screeching halt. 

__

Changbin’s cheeks are already blushing pink, Felix couldn't help but noticing. _Not_ as always. Perhaps it has something to do with the next words to leave his plush, perfect lips.

__

“I know this is... _random,”_ Changbin began, and he sounds uncharacteristically nervous. “But Felix, I want to give _you_ something today.” 

__

Felix furrowed his brows in confusion. He couldn't help being so severely taken aback, at Changbin’s sentiment. “Me? What for?” 

__

Changbin shrugged, sending the pools of water held in his collarbones streaming down his chest. Felix can see his webbed hands wringing together, just below the sea surface. “Just ‘cause. No reason.” 

__

And with that, before Felix could prod him for anything further, Changbin gracefully dipped below the ocean face once again. His dorsal fin cut through the incoming crests, as his mighty shark tail propelled him down and around; back into the depths. 

__

Felix’s breath hitched in his throat, as he scrambled to the edge of the dock. He grasped the ragged wood, leaning his own torso down towards the sea. His rod clattered to the planks with his sudden jolt of movement, but he couldn't be bothered to care. 

__

The water is horribly murky with algae blooms this time of year, and clouds the undersea dark brown and red. But despite that, Felix sees vague blips of motion, distinct even under the disorienting rise and fall of high tide. A flash of matte silver scales here. A shock of undoubtedly-human skin there, when the sun shoots through the surface just right. 

__

A few moments later, Changbin reappeared, right before Felix once again. 

__

He raised his hands out from the ocean—there’s something sitting in the center of his palms, so large and oblong it almost completely hides the thin membrane stretched between his fingers. It's not one of his usual fishy offerings, when Felix doesn't get any bites. _That's_ for sure. 

__

It’s a conch shell. Pearly white and vaguely iridescent, it shines with shades of pink and gold under the sunlight. It’s _beautiful._ And Felix _knows_ such perfect, textbook conch shells can _only_ be found on the very bottom of the sea. 

__

Changbin swam to the bottom of the ocean for _him._ Felix’s heart is swelling like the tide, lapping waves of love against the meager constraints of his ribs. 

__

“For you, Felix.” Changbin declared, stretching his arms out even more. Reaching his gift even closer to Felix, in the face of his stunned silence. 

__

Felix gulped, forcing a pad of saliva down past the blockage in his throat. He took the conch from Changbin, and grasped the shell in his hands. It’s smooth, almost like hardened satin. It’s shining, like Changbin’s eyes. 

__

It’s wonderful, just like him too. 

__

“Thank you so much, Changbin.” It wasn’t profound, or an accurate portrayal of the severe gratitude Felix is feeling right now, but it’s all he could manage under the circumstances. He’s just proud he spoke coherently _at all._

__

Felix hugged the shell to his chest, tightly enough to feel the ridges press into his skin beneath his shirt, but gently enough to ensure no fractures will chip its delicate curves. 

__

The next words out of Felix’s mouth are a byproduct of the adoration clouding his brain, and judgment, and heart. 

__

“Let me give _you_ something now, Binnie.” Felix announced with surety, despite his mind still catching up with the rapid fire–and _unconscious_ –movement of his lips. 

__

Changbin chuckled, and said, “It’s ok, Felix. Please just accept it as a... _token._ Of my affections.” 

__

_Of his affections._

__

He feels it too.

__

_He feels what Felix is feeling too._ The mutual adoration that’s filling up Felix’s lungs like gulps of sea water. The spark of _something_ that’s submerging him like the rise of high tide. 

__

Felix knows what he has to do. 

__

“Bin, come here.” Felix clambered to the _very_ edge of the dock. He swung his legs off the wood, so they dangle into the open air and ghost the tips of his sandals above the sea surface. He beckoned Changbin closer with a flick of a wrist, and the merman instantly obeyed. 

__

With his new viewpoint, Felix caught a glimpse of where his grey shark tail morphs into the creamy softness of Changbin’s human torso. He saw the gills carved into his flanks, and the silver dorsal fin sprouting from his mid-back. 

__

Changbin swam closer and closer, closing whatever inches of distance were separating them in the first place, until he’s floating in the space between Felix’s dangling legs. 

__

As if sensing what Felix has planned, Changbin planted two stocky, webbed hands on the wood of the dock, effectively caging Felix in, and _heaved._ Using his impressive biceps, Changbin gracefully lifted himself out of the water, arms propping him up on the dock on either side of the human’s thighs, so he’s face to face with Felix. Eye to eye with him. Lip to lip with him. His tail is still safely hidden under the waves, but his human body is now _completely_ out of the sea, for the first time. 

__

Had it not been for the gills, and the fin on his back, he appears totally human. 

__

But they’re alone. The beach is empty, as well as the far off pier. 

__

Felix isn’t worried of being caught, and Changbin doesn’t seem to be either. Thankfully.

__

Without another word, Felix darted forward, and kissed the corner of Changbin’s mouth. He was aiming for square on his lips, but he veered off course while in the throes of such whiplash-adoration. 

__

Luckily, Changbin didn’t seem to mind the misdirect of his smooch, either. 

__

Chasing more contact, Changbin quickly pecked Felix’s cheek, before he could attempt to pull away. Not like he had any immediate plans of doing so, of course. But Felix isn't complaining. 

__

Felix hummed in contentment, as Changbin peppered his nose and cheeks and forehead in chaste kisses. He smiled into another kiss, as Changbin _finally_ landed a smooch directly on his lips _._

__

Felix softly placed the conch shell down at his side, so he can cradle Changbin’s cheeks under his palms, and keep him steady. 

__

It was at this moment, Changbin removed one webbed hand from the dock, and cupped Felix’s waist with it. He squeezed a bit, before tugging Felix _forward,_ by the fabric of his tee.

__

Felix felt himself tipping precariously, saw the spark of glee in Changbin’s eyes, and before he could pull back–

__

_Splash!_

__

“C-changbin!” Felix sputtered, as the merman pulled him down by the shirt and _right_ off the dock. Right into the sea, with him. A mighty spray of sea water and flotsam was kicked up, as a stunned Felix unceremoniously plopped below the waves. The ocean is on the better side of freezing this time of year, and Felix’s lungs fluttered as he coughed a few drops of salt water free from his throat.

__

He felt the water sopping through his jeans and the thin material of his tee, he felt the roll of each wave caress his body and attempt to freeze his marrow solid, but then he felt something _else._

__

A pair of familiar hands holding tight onto his midriff, and keeping him afloat. Webbed fingers, nails tapering off into claws, holding him firm to a familiar chest. 

__

He can feel the sharp points of Changbin's clawed fingers lightly digging into the muscle above his hips, through the denim of his soaked jeans, and the prickle acted as a grounding weight as they bob amongst the waves.

__

“Sorry, Felix.” Said Changbin, clearly not sorry at _all_ to have dragged the human into his domain. “Couldn't help myself.” 

__

Felix shook some droplets free from the tips of his fringe, and focused deep on the welcome heat of Changbin. The warmth of his hands on his waist, keeping Felix safe in the sea. The warmth of his arms, bracketing his torso. The warmth of his smile, as he gazes at him through darkened eyes.

__

The ocean is well past chilly, but Changbin is the warmth Felix needs to keep the chatter in his teeth at bay. He may be up to his shoulders in cold-as-hell water, but goosebumps refused to rise on the human’s skin, as he swam closer in Changbin’s hold. Felix kicked his feet a bit, to stay level in the swell with Changbin, and he grazed the rough hide of his shark tail with his open toed shoes. _That_ made Felix’s skin prickle, _not_ the ferocious bite of the sea water. 

Felix popped his hands free from the water, and cupped Changbin’s cheeks again. Drips and drops ran through the spaces in his fingers, sending rhinestone brilliance down the apples of the merman’s cheeks. 

__

They just looked at each other, for a short moment. Just a few seconds of silence, broken only by the clamour of each lazy wave breaking on shore, and the slap of the tide against the adjacent dock. Just long enough for Felix to gulp down some much needed oxygen, before getting himself back on track. 

__

Felix leaned in, and kissed Changbin once again. And then again. And then again. 

__

“I’m so glad I reeled you in, Binnie.” Felix mused, once they _eventually_ put a stop to the endless stream of smooching. _Something_ about kissing in the open waves has Felix addicted, something about the tang of saltwater on Changbin’s lips makes Felix want to gulp down _nothing_ but _him._

__

His body _finally_ acclimating to the weightlessness of free-floating in the inlet, and now the feeling of Changbin’s hands gripping his midsection is purely a physical display of his affection, rather than a means to keep Felix from plunking below the surface. Changbin’s pudgy cheeks are somewhat damp under his fingers, but his skin is silky and warm and Felix would be remiss to let go. 

__

Changbin scoffed, but it wasn’t malicious in the slightest. He nuzzled a cheek into Felix’s hand, and he’s grinning. Bright and beaming and putting his serrated canines on full display. “I reeled _myself_ in, Felix.” 

__

Well….Felix can’t argue with _that._ He’s got a point, admittedly. 

__

But before Felix could (playfully) chastise him for (not actually) ruining the moment, Changbin amended his previous statement. He pulled Felix even flusher to his chest, until their bodies are inseparable in the sea. “But...I’m glad, too. I love you, Felix.” _Even though you’re human._

__

Felix didn’t even need to think about his next response. “I love you too, Changbin.” _Even though you’re a (sometimes grumpy, but mostly adorable) tiger shark merman._

__

One boy may have a tail, and one boy may have a pair of legs, but in that very second their differences faded into nothingness. They’re in love.

__

And that’s all that matters. Not that one has sharpened canines, while one has blunted teeth. Not that one has gills, and one has lungs. None of it matters, because their hearts are the same. Their hearts _feel_ the same. 

__

It’s a cliche, the saying _‘there’s plenty of fish in the sea’._

__

But if there’s one thing Felix learned since he picked up his first rod, it’s that the adage is _true._ There are _tons_ of fish in the sea, and Felix found that out first hand, after he pledged himself to the ocean. Countless fish. Too many to even comprehend for a land-dweller such as himself. 

__

There are plenty of fish in the sea, as they say.

__

And somehow, _someway_ , Felix found his.

**Author's Note:**

> absolutely jazzed i could use some knowledge from my one year of marine biology in 2017 for this fic....i hope my professor is proud of me uwu 
> 
> anyways, this is my 40th skz fic posted?? this is such a huge milestone for me, so i just wanna thank everyone who regularly supports me and motivates me to write in the first place ❤️ i wouldn't be here if it wasn't for u all!! 
> 
> kudos n stuff are the best way to support me if u enjoyed this <3 i know i'm a few days early but happy bday binnie!!! aka the cutest shark boi uvu


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